Umweltbundesamt
If we are to have any hope of reducing greenhouse gases, we will need to substantially roll back energy use, improve energy efficiency and at the same time ramp up renewable energy production and use. To leverage this potential, we need to institute efficiency measures and optimize renewable energy technologies. But to do this, it is crucial that economic, infrastructure and political obstacles be overcome.
What is the key to the success of climate protection measures? Timely, sustainable infrastructure investments worldwide that will create conditions early on and in a timely manner that will be conducive to adherence to the two degree ceiling. Hence transformation of our economic systems and their underlying socioeconomic structures (energy systems, urbanization and land use) will need to begin at the national level, and then continue based on an across the board sustainable-development paradigm on the global level. As a society, we need to be very clear about the fact that climate protection cannot and will not be achieved through technical solutions alone, and will instead necessitate fundamental transformation of our lifestyles, "mentalités", and values.
In the interest of moving toward achieving these goals, in 2010 the German government adopted an ambitious energy infrastructure transformation program that sets a long term strategy for German energy and climate policy. We at the UBA are supporting this process through our own investigations of long term scenarios aimed at energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, and energy-infrastructure transformation monitoring. To this end, we are implementing instruments such as carbon trading, the guarantee of origin register, and the "Blauer Engel" seal of environmental quality.
Germany's greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) fell slightly by 1.9% in 2022. GHG emissions were around 746 million tonnes – some 15 million tonnes less than 2021. Overall, emissions in Germany have fallen by 40.4% since 1990. While this means that Germany is generally on track to meet the targets of the Federal Climate Change Act, emissions in the energy sector increased significantly. read more
Rewetting peatlands can do a great deal to protect the climate. Drained peatlands in Germany emit some 53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents every year, which is about 7.5 percent of all its GHG emissions. read more
The air indoors, whether at schools or offices, is often stuffy. Air conditioning systems can provide relief, but they do not always operate as they should. The quality seal for air conditioning systems can help based on its three-phase verification to ensure good indoor air quality and energy-efficiency during planning, installation and operation. read more
The shortage of housing is a problem in many large cities and metropolitan areas. The building sector has for years failed to meet its environmental and climate targets. A position paper by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Commission for Sustainable Building (KNBau) at UBA investigates how affordable housing can be built without harm to the environment and human health. read more
100 major copper, iron ore and bauxite (“aluminium ore”) mine sites worldwide have been assessed for their environmental hazard potentials. Results have been published in an interactive map with a number of filter functions. In particular, companies can use the map to analyse environmental risks along supply chains and to support their environmental due diligence. read more
Germany is in full compliance with European emission reduction targets. Final data on greenhouse gas emissions for 2021 show that Germany had emissions of 759.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2021, which is about 29.6 million tonnes (4%) more than in 2020 and 39% less compared to 1990. read more
Germany’s revenues from auctions under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) totalled more than 6.8 billion euros in 2022, marking a significant increase over 2021 (5.3 billion euros). In contrast, revenues under the national emissions trading scheme (nETS) for the heating and transport sector fell below the previous year’s level (6.4 billion euros in 2022 vs 7.2 billion euros in 2021). read more
A flood alliance, “Tiny Forests” as a place for teaching about climate change adaptation and others – the winners of the national Blauer Kompass Award 2022 have been announced. The €25,000 in prize money is awarded to outstanding climate change adaptation projects in the areas of flood protection, agriculture, skilled crafts and trade, environmental education and rural development. read more
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
